Life After Death
by BritLeigh
Summary: It wasn't a part of the plan to die. It definitely wasn't part of the plan to come back! But she is and there's no way to fix it. If Puck has any say in it she'll be gone in no time.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

If you had asked Rachel Berry her plans for her future, the answer would have been obvious.

Phase One: Survive high school. Phase Two: Get through college. And Phase Three: Anytime she was offered a position on Broadway (or on television, or in a movie, she wasn't picky) she'd drop everything and go for it. Her parents rolled their eyes at her and repeatedly told her she should finish college before doing anything of the sort to which she replied that school would always be there and opportunities like those weren't easy to come by.

That had been her plan for as long as she could remember. Though throughout the years some steps had been completed and the others had moved up on the list. Thus, when elementary and middle school where over, high school became number one on her list until number three popped up.

Rachel knew that everyone (her parents included) thought her obsessiveness over her goals was more than a little ridiculous, but it wasn't their life. It was hers and she was going to succeed. All she had to do was finish up Phase One.

Unfortunately, on that particular Tuesday morning, Rachel's car wouldn't start. Both of her dads had left for work already and wouldn't have gotten back in time to drive her to school anyway. So, with a quick glance at her watch and a sigh, she started the fifteen minute walk to school.

And that wouldn't have been a problem. Except at that moment some idiot on a cell phone in a shiny new truck decided he couldn't wait to come to a stop or until his call was over to take a quick drink of his coffee. Naturally he didn't see a small brunette girl walking across the street, ear phones popped in and oblivious to the large monster truck headed toward her.

If you had asked Rachel Berry her plans for the future, the answer _should have been_ obvious. She had everything planned out. Damn her for not considering death and working that in as an obstacle.

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**A.N.: Hi! This is my first Glee fic. and I wanted to let you all know that unfortunatly I haven't seen much more than Season 1, so please excuse any mistakes or missing characters. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Rachel raised an eyebrow as Brittany smiled almost shyly at Artie from across the room. She wouldn't have thought they would have even _considered_ each other, but now that she thought about it, they probably would have been great together.

A giggle from behind her made Rachel turn to see Puck and Santana strolling into the choir room. They weren't touching or even flirting it seemed, but Santana had her head thrown back as she laughed at something Puck said. Puck had his usual smirk in place, causing Rachel to believe whatever he'd said was dirty.

As the two further entered the room and found seats, Rachel could have sworn on her life (_un_-life?) that Puck's eyes had fallen on her for a moment. But then he looked down at the floor with an interest so intense Rachel was sure he was beginning to sweat.

Rachel tore her attention away from the boy and did a quick head count. Everyone was there except for their instructor. As if on cue, Mr. Shuester entered the room in a much more sober attitude than the rest of the team. The teacher looked around the room and waited for them all to silence.

"Hey, guys," He said quietly when they all took notice of him. "I think practice should be canceled for the day due to . . . recent events."

There was a moment of silence before Kurt spoke. "What are you talking about?"

Mr. Shue looked at him, confused and Rachel felt a little sorry for the man. He was just trying to do what he thought was right. "Well, I just thought it would be a little awkward since . . . you know . . . Rachel and all."

Mercedes rolled her eyes and huffed. "Please Mr. Shue. Do you really think we can miss a practice now that we're down one team member?"

At their confused teacher's look, Finn spoke up. "Plus, do you really think Rachel would want us to cancel?"

"I think she would want us to sing in remembrance of her." Artie said with a nod.

"_Huh_!" Rachel snorted and rolled her eyes not really caring anymore how un-lady-like that was.

Puck's head shot up and he looked straight at her, causing her to believe that if her heart had still been beating it would have stopped. His dark eyes locked onto her face unblinking. Rachel raised her eyebrows, not believing this was really happening. Slowly, she raised a hand and waggled her fingers in a wave.

The mohawked teen jumped to his feet and ran out of the room not hearing the calls of the other people around him. Including one girl who was pretty sure that if she weren't already dead, what had just happened would have killed her.

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**AN: I know it's super short but I felt that was the right place to end it. What do you all think of it so far? Any suggestions/concerns/comments/questions? You've gotta let me know! And to do that you must review. So let me hear them. Or as the case may be: _read_ them. **

**Thanks for reading, Brit**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Noah Puckerman wasn't a religious person, Rachel knew. But she also knew he was really into 'signs'. So after he'd seen her and panicked, she was sure he had gone home to subsequently freak out. And naturally she followed after him.

Leaving the choir room and its occupants behind Rachel tried to chase after Puck. Unfortunately, the boy had longer legs than her and had reached the parking lot and his truck before she even made it to the door. Watching the truck peel out of the lot with its tires squealing, Rachel sighed. It wasn't too long a walk to Puck's house, but it was going to eat up a lot of time she could have been using to question him.

Ten minutes later, Rachel was staring up at Puck's house, grateful she couldn't sweat anymore. She was even more grateful that his truck was in the driveway. After going up the walkway, she stopped and considered the door. She could go through it, she knew, but would that be considered rude? Another five minutes after that, she was walking swiftly through the wooden door.

Rachel had been in Puck's house once before and it hadn't even been during that week they had dated. It had been during his eighth birthday party that his mother had invited her to. While Rachel couldn't really remember what the house had looked like eight years ago, it still had the same comfortable feel. Most houses Rachel had been in were cold and felt sterile almost, but not the Puckerman household. It was warm and cozy, much like her own home.

Glancing into what she found out to be the living room with the connected kitchen, Rachel deduced that he must have been upstairs in his room. She slowly started up the stairs, wondering if he would hear her if she stepped too loudly, and she really didn't want to scare him off again. Mostly because if he ran she had no idea where he would go.

Walking quietly down the hall past Mrs. Puckerman's room along with a washroom, Rachel came to two rooms across from each other. Nudging open the door on the left, Rachel smiled, delighted that she had remembered which one was Puck's.

The boy she had been looking for was sprawled across his bed, arm draped over his eyes. The radio on his desk was humming a popular song softly while he tried to sleep and Rachel tried not to smile. Despite popular belief, Noah Puckerman's room was spotless. Dirty clothes were in the hamper, clean clothes were folded or hung up in their proper places, and if his body hadn't rumpled the covers a bit, Puck's bed would have been made neatly.

Surprised at not having to pick through mountains of stuff piled on the ground, Rachel strode over to the bed and cleared her throat loudly. Puck made a strangled noise in the back of his throat and he sat up with a wild look in his eyes. When he saw Rachel standing at the foot of his bed he yelled (shrieked) and scrambled to get up.

"_What_ are _you_ doing _here_?" He yelled as he backed himself up against the wall. "You're dead! I went to your funeral!"

His eyes were so wide Rachel was sure they were going to pop out of his skull. Blinking at his shaking hands, she realized that maybe sneaking up on him may not have been her best idea ever. But her worst was still walking across the street without looking both ways first.

"Noah," She began softly much like speaking to a spooked animal. "I'm just as confused as you are. All I know is that two days ago I woke up in the hospital looking at my body while my parents sobbed over it. Yesterday _I_ went to my funeral! Do you think I'm not just as freaked out about this as you?"

Puck's shaking decreased a bit but his eyes were still crazy big. "You were at the funeral?"

"Of course." Rachel said like he was an idiot. Puck shifted at being spoken to like that but he didn't comment on it. "How many chances does someone get to see their own funeral?"

She got a raised eyebrow for that. "Apparently you get one more than everyone else." He gestured at her and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Not the point Noah."

"I think it's a pretty valid point." He mumbled but Rachel ignored him.

Rachel sighed and moved to lean back against Puck's desk. "We just need to figure out why I'm still here and why _you_ – of all people – can see me. And then you're going to help send me to wherever I'm supposed to be now that I'm . . . dead."

She whispered the last word but Puck still flinched like he'd been punched in the gut. Puck was beginning to nod along with her plan, but after a second started shaking his head. "What? Hell no! This is your problem, not mine!"

"There's a _reason_ you can see me Noah!" Rachel huffed and crossed her arms. "And you are going to help me or I'll haunt you for the rest of your life."

Puck raised his eyebrows again, unconvinced. Rachel gave him a small, sweet smile and Puck couldn't help but shiver dread. "You know I'll do it Noah. I'm dead. I have nothing to do but follow you around." Her smile became a little more evil. "Would you prefer the styling's of Aretha Franklin? Or maybe Britney Spears would be more your taste." She shrugged. "I can pretty much sing anything so feel free to make suggestions."

Rachel watched Puck swallow nervously. "You can sing for the rest of your un-life sweetie, I don't care, but leave me out of it."

The smile didn't leave her face. "Or maybe I can just talk? Though you should know now that I have an opinion on _everything_." She shrugged again. "You're choice."

He couldn't help but feel a little impressed. Who knew she could blackmail like the best of them? After a minute or two, Puck finally sighed. "Fine." He continued to speak over her squeals of thanks. "But we're going to have to set some ground rules first."

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**AN: Hi! This note is just to say that I probably won't be posting for a couple days (even _weeks_) because my family and I are moving halfway across the country. I don't know how long it's going to take to get everything set up, but my computer isn't really the first on my list. That spot goes to pictures. Anyway, I'll try to get another on in but I'm going to mostly use my last few days here saying good-bye to all my family and friends, so I'm sorry if I don't.**

**On a happier note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. They were all really nice and they made me smile. A lot of people compared Life After Death to Ghost Whisperer, and while that's not a problem I haven't actually seen the show. So if you're expecting what they do on there then I'm sorry again if I don't pull it off.**

**So, thank you all for reading. **

**Wish me safe driving, Brit**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I just don't understand why I have to go with you." Rachel whined as she watched Puck move around the kitchen. He had just finished explaining his 'rules' and now he was busy getting dinner ready for himself and his family. "It's not like it's going to be of any use to me now."

Puck stopped pulling stuff out of the cabinets to spin around and stare at her in exaggerated shock. "Did _Rachel Berry_ really just say that school wouldn't be any use to her?" He continued to mock as he finished gathering up all his supplies for dinner. "Look, I already told you Berry. I don't want you alone in my house – let alone my _room_."

After setting a pot of water on the stove to boil, he turned back to face her, leaning back against the counter. He considered her for a moment. She was sitting at one of the kitchen chairs. Her left arm was resting against the table, her fingers threading and twirling her hair. Puck wondered briefly if it would knot but then figured it wouldn't do to the fact that she was dead.

And that thought was what made him pause.

"Oh, my God." He mumbled. "Oh, my _God_."

Rachel sat up straighter with a frown. She had thought that he was over the whole _dead_ thing. They had been talking for at least an hour so what had brought on this sudden panic he seemed to be working himself into? "Noah? What is it?"

All she got for a couple minutes was a blank stare. "You're dead." Rachel nodded, not getting it and Puck tried to better explain. "You're dead. And you're sitting in my kitchen. And I can _see_ you."

"Yes. So what?" Rachel still wasn't getting it.

"So what?" He asked, imitating her voice and failing miserably. Apparently he was back to mocking her. "So, I'm a crazy person! Only complete whack jobs think they see dead people."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Because you were _so_ sane to begin with." She mumbled before standing up from her seat. "Noah, you need to relax. There has to be a reason that you can see me and it's not because you're crazy." She rushed to finish as he opened his mouth to cut her off. "Besides, if you were really crazy, you wouldn't only be seeing me. There would be hundreds – possibly thousands – more than just me."

Puck paused. Then he nodded. "Right. You're right."

He turned back to the stove to pour some tomato sauce into a smaller pot. Rachel managed to stop him from reaching into the pot of boiling noodles by trying to smack him on the arm. Instead, her hand went right through his arm, making the both of them gasp.

"That was really creepy," Puck said backing away from her. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a fork. "And I would really like it if you didn't do it again."

Rachel gave him an absent nod but ignored him as he stuck the fork into the pot and fished out a single noodle. As he flicked the noodle at the wall and watched it stick, she was busy staring at her hand. He thought it was creepy? Well he didn't just watch a piece of his body turn to smoke. What was even stranger (if that was possible) was that her hand had _felt_ like smoke.

Meanwhile, Puck was busy straining the noodles to get rid of the excess water when he remembered her previous problem. "Plus," He said, not bothering to backtrack for her. "You can do my work for me." He sent her a smirk that she didn't notice. "You know how thrilled my mom will be when I bring in a good grade?"

Rachel gave him another nod and fell back into her seat. Who would have thought turning into smoke could be so exhausting? Who would have thought ghosts could feel exhaustion?

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**AN: Hello all! I know I said that Chapter 2 would be it for a while but I managed to get this one out before I had to pack up the computer. **

**While I write every chapter for myself and post them for all of you (aren't you lucky) ,this one in particular was written and posted so close to the move for  The HongKonger who mentioned in a review that they were a bit annoyed at me for ditching the story. I really hope this chapter makes up for it.**

**On that note: Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing. It really makes writing a bit easier.**

**Thank you all for reading (and hopefully reviewing), Brit**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

For the third time Rachel sighed from her place behind Puck and Puck was thinking if the truck hadn't done it first he would have killed her himself. Not only was she severely pissing him off, he had gone to math under the guise (yeah, he knows words) that Rachel was going to help him with the work. Only she wasn't doing it. She was too busy sighing and rolling her eyes at him to help him get a good grade. It really didn't help that Mercedes and Quinn were both in the class and they kept shooting him weird looks.

While Puck hunched over his desk and pretended to work to keep the teacher off his back, Rachel did her best to annoy him. What can she say? It's a gift. She also tried to figure out her whole 'smoke' problem, but since she wasn't exactly an expert on ghosts she didn't know what to attribute it to.

Glancing at mohawked teen in front of her, Rachel rolled her eyes for the fifth time. Of course she would get stuck with _his_ help. But to earn that help she would have to assist him like she promised she would. She really couldn't believe her life (_un_-life? She needed to figure that out too.) had come to this.

Puck sat up a bit straighter when Rachel cleared her throat. It was a change to her usual sigh so he figured she was finally going to hold her end of the bargain.

"I'll help you with it at your house." Rachel had to force the words through her clenched teeth. While she believed no student should be left behind she also believed that it was Puck's own fault and he should have to deal with it on his own. But a deal was a deal. "I'm sure you don't want people thinking you're going crazy talking to yourself."

It was only because she was helping him that Puck held back the snort that threatened to escape. They probably already thought he was crazy for showing up, how much more damage could it be to him if he were to say he was speaking to a dead person? But he held his tongue and nodded his head so only she would see.

He supposed that now he would have to help her in return, but he wasn't exactly an expert on ghosts. Why did _he_ have to get stuck helping her? Thankfully the bell rang then, saving him from having to pretend to work anymore. It was really exhausting. He couldn't imagine having to actually _do_ the work.

Puck raised an eyebrow. Maybe having Rachel around wouldn't be _too_ bad after all. She was basically his own personal ghost assistant. With a grin he headed to his locker to exchange books while Rachel trailed behind him.

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**AN: Hi! Glad to be back! I'm so sorry it took so long but you know how it goes. And thank you to everyone who wished me a safe move. It went superbly.**

**Now, my sister pointed out to me that I repeat certain things but I wanted to let you knw that it's just a way for you to see how much Puck and Rachel are really alike, so that's why I did that. And let me say that I know this chapter's short but it was just something quick to put up. Either way, let me know what you think!**

**Thanks for reading, Brit**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Finn Hudson slumped in his chair as he watched Brittany push Artie into the choir room. He really just wanted this day to be over already. It had been bad so far and he really couldn't see it picking up during glee rehearsals.

While he had been really sad about Rachel's death, he'd really thought that things in glee would calm down now that she was gone. Instead, they'd gotten worse. Firstly, Kurt and Mercedes weren't friends anymore. Now that Rachel was gone, they were no longer a united force and it was every diva for themselves. Secondly, Finn was no longer the club's leading male. Mr. Shue had assured him that while Finn's voice was great it really only matched Rachel's perfectly, and now she was gone so . . .

Finn didn't mind not being the lead male though. It meant a lot less work and he could actually fit in some home work before his video games.

But now he was sitting in the choir room, waiting for the day to be over. The one time he'd pointed out that all of them didn't _really_ need to be there, Kurt had complained for an hour about how everyone had stayed for Rachel when _she _practiced her solos and they could do the same for him. Finn had nodded and hadn't mentioned leaving early again.

Finn glanced around the room and saw that most everyone was there. The only ones missing were Mr. Shuester and Puck. Artie and Sam were both strumming on their guitars near the drum set with Brittany sitting near them staring blankly at the wall in front of her while she swayed slightly. Quinn was sitting with Tina and Kurt in the first row talking. Mercedes and Santana were having some kind of bitch fest going on behind him and Mike sat next to Finn not even trying to engage him in conversation. Both were in the same history class and both had been completely blindsided by the test they'd had to take.

Finn was about to ask the other boy how he thought he'd done when Puck walked in. His shoulders were hunched and he rolled his eyes as he took a seat in the first row. Only a single chair separated him from Tina. Finn had noticed that lately Puck had been avoiding people.

It started with fairly small stuff like sitting away from the other students in class. But no one really noticed that because it was such a shock to see Puck _in_ class. Then he stopped showing up at lunch. Artie later reported that it was because he was in the library and he seemed to be studying. And now he was isolating himself in glee rehearsals.

Finn watched Puck shrug a single shoulder. He'd noticed the other boy doing strange things like that too. Mumbling to himself in the halls and shrugging for no reason. Occasionally he rolled his eyes and Mike said that he'd watched Puck give the finger to the empty passenger seat in his truck. Similar things had been going on all week and Finn was beginning to wonder if he should talk to him about it.

His thoughts were cut short when Mr. Shuester walked into the room, clapping his hands and talking about a great idea he'd had. Out of the corner of his eye, Finn watched Puck turn his head slightly to the empty chair next to him. After a moment he smirked and had to drop his head to hide his silent laughter.

While wondering what the joke was, Finn completely ignored Mr. Shue's assignment until Tina walked up to him and took a seat. And dealing with an annoyed Tina sucked, so he listened carefully while she repeated the assignment for him. Thoughts of Puck and his craziness were pushed to the back of his mind.

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**Hey everyone! I know it's been a while, but ****makkattackk ****asked for a chapter with Finn's perspective (I hope this is kind of what you were looking for), and it took a while to get into that mind set. But here it is so I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and let me know what you think.**

**Thanks for reading, Brit**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Puck set down his pencil with a groan. "Finally!" He wasn't too surprised when he got yet another eye roll. It seemed like that was the only way he and Rachel could communicate.

"It wasn't that bad." Rachel said from her seat next to him. Puck didn't know what his mom would say when she saw the chair he'd dragged up from the kitchen, but he was sure if she knew he was actually doing school work she wouldn't mind a bit. "You're actually pretty good at this stuff. You hardly needed any of my help."

Puck shrugged. "It's because I'm awesome." He politely ignored her comment on _that_.

"Well," Rachel stood up. Placing her hands on her hip, she raised her eyebrows at him. "Maybe now you can focus your 'awesomeness' on helping me."

They heard the front door open downstairs. Lisa Puckerman called out to her daughter to slow down and Jess apparently complied since the sound of her footsteps grew quieter. Puck sent a grin to Rachel. "Sorry, Cupcake. Family time."

Rachel huffed. "Noah Puckerman, I have been here for a week and you have yet to help me!"

All she got in response was a shrug as a younger girl flew into his room. "Noah!" She smacked him on the arm. "Where's my homework? I was supposed to turn it in today and it wasn't in my backpack! Where'd you put it?"

Puck looked confused but Rachel had seen him (and told him repeatedly not to do it) take Jessica's homework out of her school bag and hide it under her bed.

"I don't know squirt." He shrugged as he stood and exited the room with Jess trailing after him. Rachel followed silently behind. "Did you check everywhere?"

While Jess assured him that she had, Rachel stepped closer to Puck as he descended the stairs. "Noah, I've been helping you for a _week_!"

Puck shrugged while the three of them entered the kitchen. "I don't know what to tell you kid."

Not knowing if he was talking to her or Jess, Rachel paused, but at his raised eyebrow she rushed to continue. "Please find someone or something to help me."

"Hey kid," Puck turned to his sister who stopped her babbling. "Check your room again. Maybe it fell out of your bag or something."

Jess ran from the kitchen and clomped back up the stairs earning another yell from her mother. Puck glanced at Rachel before going back to pulling stuff out for dinner. He had to be careful not to draw any attention to himself while talking to her. His mother had already come home once to find him yelling at the empty couch. Puck had explained that he was getting in character for a glee assignment. How his mom had bought that, he'd never know. And he was pretty sure Finn was catching on if the looks he was sending Puck were any sign.

"Who am I gonna ask Berry?" He said quietly to the open fridge door. "This is a small town in Ohio so I'm kinda short on occult shops." He smirked. "And no matter what I've said in the past, Santana isn't _actually_ a witch."

Rachel groaned and stomped her foot. "You have a computer with internet access at your disposal! You have the county library at your fingertips! You have the tri-county phone book – which I _know_ has a page devoted entirely to psychics – in that drawer right there!"

She pointed at the drawer in question and Puck scratched the back of his neck. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. Thankfully he was saved from answering her by his mom walking in.

"Noah, I have a few boxes in my room," She said walking over to the sink to wash her hands. "Would you mind going around the house and putting away all of our valuables and breakables?' As she dried her hands she leaned back against the counter so she could look at him. "Everyone's coming for Jess's birthday and you know how my sister loves to 'admire' them."

Puck knew that 'admire' was code for 'steal'. His aunt Cora was famous in the family for it. He nodded at his mother but looked at Rachel.

He was sure that if she could, she'd be crying in frustration. As much as he hated to admit it, he _was_ being a grade-A jackass by not helping her after all she'd done for him so far.

"I'll start tomorrow."

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**Well? This really feels like a filler chapter to me (though all of my chapter feel like that ****unfortunately****). What do you think? I really just wanted Puck to start researching but take it seriously. Well, as seriously as he _could_ take it! Do they seem in character? Like I said before: it really takes a while to get into the mindset of a character. So let me know what you think! **

**Thanks for reading, Brit**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_"Hello, you've reached Madam Zara. I am currently on the Other Side and unable to take your call. Please leave your name, number, and situation and I will contact you when I am able."_ Said the husky voice over the machine.

Puck rolled his eyes and clicked the phone off. He shook his head at Rachel's hopeful look. A small crease appeared between her eyebrows and her mouth pulled down into a frown. While Puck couldn't exactly relate, he understood why she was frustrated. Rachel had guilted him into searching for answers three days ago and everything they tried came to a dead end.

The psychics were all frauds. He could have told her that. The one priest he'd consulted thought he was being possessed by a demon. Rachel had laughed the rest of the day at the fact that he'd been doused in Holy Water and had to change. And there had been a brief stint with a couple of guys going around his house holding open jar with honey in them. Apparently the honey would turn blue when the ghost went into the jar to eat it, and then the guys would snap the lid on and trap it. Rachel had given Puck a look and he had rushed to get them out of his house.

"Maybe if you went to a bookstore." Rachel suggested halfheartedly. She was beginning to think that she'd done something incredibly wrong and this was her punishment for it: trapped on Earth with only Puck to talk to.

Puck raised an eyebrow at her. "The only books our _one_ store carries either have pictures of cartoon mice on the covers or are about what kind of fertilizer is best for your garden."

They sat in silent contemplation for a few minutes before Rachel sat up straighter in her seat on Puck's neatly made bed. He'd made it after he'd gotten his sister up and off to school. He'd skipped classes that day under the defense that people were getting suspicious. Rachel only agreed after he promised to search for help.

"There's a bookstore in Troy." She said pulling his attention from the Google search he'd done on ghosts.

Puck shrugged and typed in a more specific series of words. "So?" He didn't see the eye roll but he felt it.

"_So_," Rachel stood and walked over to him. She leaned back against his desk so she could see his face. "I've been and it's much bigger than the one here. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say there's a pretty good chance they have _something_ that could help."

He considered her for a moment. "What the hell?" He asked standing up ad switching off the computer monitor. "I'm skipping school and you're dead. What else have we got to do?"

"I'm glad you agree." Rachel muttered as she followed him out of his room.

* * *

Thanks to Puck's need to break speed limits, they made it to the bookstore in forty-five minutes. The store was located on a quaint down town street that had no parking lot so Puck stopped his truck next to the curb across the street.

The building was made of brick like the rest of the buildings in the neighborhood and there was a huge window in the front next to the door that said Anderson's Books in large scrawling cursive.

As the two of them made their way inside the bookstore, a bell chimed over the door to let everyone know another customer had arrived. Puck hated those things. It always made him feel like everyone turned and stared at him when they heard those stupid bells. Ignoring the (imaginary) looks, he looked around to get a lay of the land.

A large desk with a computer and cash register sat to the left of the door but no one was there. At a table that ran along the front window best seller books sat propped up on stands and small trinkets were scattered around to catch the eye of a customer. Book cases ran horizontally, blocking Puck and Rachel from seeing to the back of the store, but the space between them and the walls was open. The walls themselves had been converted into shelves that lined up all the way to the ceiling. Soft lighting and dark wood floors gave what should have been an overcrowded shop a larger feel.

Puck glanced to his left at Rachel who was also looking around and bopping her head to the soft music that was playing overhead. If he didn't know better, Puck would have said that it was a song from Hairspray. But Puck _did_ know better, and he knew enough that if he mentioned it, he'd have to work really hard to get rid of Rachel. Otherwise he'd never hear the end of it.

"Hi! Welcome to Anderson's Books. Are you looking for anything in particular?" Came a peppy voice from Puck's right.

Coming out from behind the book cases was a boy Puck assumed worked for the shop. His short black hair was combed back and a self assured grin made his dark eyes crinkle at the edges. He was in simple jeans and a nice collared shirt but Puck had a feeling this was a prep school kid.

Another glance to his left caused him to roll his eyes. Of course Rachel would be dazzled by him. He looked like her type.

The guy shifted awkwardly. "Uh, sir?" He said cautiously drawing Puck attention back to him. "Can I help you with anything?"

Puck raised an eyebrow. "What's your paranormal section like." The guy blinked and stared at Puck blankly. Puck sighed. "You know, like, ghosts or spirits or whatever the hell they're called." He ignored Rachel's hiss for him to be polite and instead listened to Prep Boy.

"Uh, its okay I guess." He said raising a hand and scratching the back of his neck. "We don't normally get a lot of people looking at it so we haven't ordered anything for it in a couple years." He turned and waved a hand for Puck to follow. "Here, I'll show you where it's at."

Puck followed him obediently and hoped Rachel was smart enough to do the same. He had a feeling that since he was the only customer, he'd be getting a lot of assistance, and talking to someone no one else could see wouldn't be good. While they walked Prep Boy kept up a running commentary.

"My name's Blaine." He said over his shoulder. "This is my mom's place but she had a doctor's appointment today and we had a day off of school today. Dad said I could run things by myself. Lucky me, huh?" He gave a small chuckle. "Parents, right? They never care if you've got plans."

When Puck didn't respond, Blaine cleared his throat. He stopped when they reached the back of the shop. Small, circular tables were scattered around the space that was left between the last bookcase and the back wall. There were only four chairs shared among the six of them though. A small plaque was stationed on top of one of the shelves that ran along the wall reading: Paranormal; Nonfiction.

"Well," Said Blaine. "Here it is." Puck nodded his thanks and the other boy backed away. "If you need anything just call. I'll be up front."

Puck nodded again and Blaine disappeared behind the shelves once more. Puck and Rachel watched him go before turning to the small section of books they'd been led to.

"Well Noah," Rachel turned to him with a grin. "Get to reading."

* * *

**Hello all! So, while writing this chapter I was unsure of how Puck was going to find answers. Now I've said before that I haven't really seen much more than season 1, but I've recently seen a few episodes with Blaine and I've decided I like him. Obviously this is an AU story since we're dealing with ghosts, so it shouldn't be too much of a stretch for me to put Blaine in like this. I'm goign to try and keep him as close to character as possible but as I said: I don't know much about him. Let me do a bit of Puck-like research and then it'll be smooth sailing on the Blaine front. At least I hope. I never know what's going to happen from one chapter to the next. **

**So, let me know what you think! Thanks for reading, Brit.**


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